Raleigh Man Involved in Gas Station Shootout Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison

NEW BERN, N.C. – Marcus Antonio Williams, 36, of Raleigh was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records and evidence presented in court, during the early morning hours of October 3, 2020, Williams was involved in an altercation with multiple other individuals at a gas station on Trawick Road in Raleigh. Surveillance video from the gas station shows Williams, a multi-time convicted felon, with a gun in his hand. The video appears to show Williams shoot the firearm at an individual. Another man then returned fire. Williams and another individual each received gunshot wounds from the shootout. Weeks later, on November 18, 2020, police served a search warrant at Williams’s residence in Raleigh. Amongst Williams’s personal items, police found a .45 caliber handgun which had been reported stolen from Durham, NC.

“Felons are not permitted to own a gun and those who participate in violent shootings in public areas are particularly dangerous,” said. U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “My office will continue to prioritize these cases to get these violent individuals off the street. But this case should also serve as a reminder for gun owners to safely secure their firearms to keep them out of the hands of dangerous felons like Williams. Safe storage of guns is one of the best ways to prevent gun violence in the first place.”   

“The Raleigh Police Department is proud to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by providing the necessary evidence to prosecute this case,” commented Chief Estella Patterson. “The sentencing of Mr. Williams ensures that he is no longer free to endanger the lives of innocent community members through willful and violent shootings. It is a top priority of the Raleigh Police Department to make our city the safest in the country, and we will do so by preventing violent offenders, such as Mr. Williams, from ever having the freedom to hold a firearm ever again.”

Williams was named in a single-count indictment on April 7, 2021, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm for the gun found amongst his belongings on November 18, 2020. He pleaded guilty on October 20, 2021.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan . The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon L. Boykin and Sarah E. Nokes prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-155-FL.

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